Caltrans To Pay $13.5M For Cleanup From 1938 Construction Project

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The state Department of Transportation has agreed to pay $13.5 million to clean pollutants from a San Francisco lake under terms of a legal settlement with the federal government.

The U.S. Department of Justice said Thursday the settlement stemmed from a permit issued in 1938 for Caltrans to build Highway 1 through San Francisco's Presidio, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The permit required Caltrans to repair damage caused by the highway's construction.

Highway 1 runs next to Mountain Lake, a natural lake that has become polluted with lead, copper, zinc and other runoff.

Under the settlement, Caltrans will pay $10 million to clean the lake and build runoff diversions to eliminate future discharges, plus legal fees.

Caltrans released a statement saying it was pleased with the settlement and that the cleanup would begin next year.